After South Orange woman dies, Animal Control finds dozens of abandoned cats ...

SOUTH ORANGE — A faded gray house on Academy Street has become a living nightmare in South Orange. Neighbors knew the former occupant Ann M. Reilly owned a few dogs and had a soft spot for stray cats.

But it wasn't until Dec. 17 — when 45-year-old Reilly died suddenly and the house became unattended — that the true nature of her love for animals came to light.

Six dogs and roughly 40 cats were left in the house without a caretaker, according to officials and neighbors. It's not clear what caused her death, or how the animals, which had drawn attention in the past because of their odor, were discovered unattended in the home.

Last week, several agencies, including South Orange’s animal control and health department, the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and local animal shelters worked to remove the last of the cats from the three-story house on Academy Street.

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